“GREEN POLITICS - THE POLITICS OF HOPE"

13 February 2008 - The Green Party Spring Conference 2008 gets underway tomorrow in Reading, with Co-Principal Speaker and MEP for the South East Caroline Lucas giving her keynote speech to Party members and media guests on Friday 15th at 10.10am.

Speaking from Reading Town Hall in her South East constituency, Dr Lucas will highlight recent Green successes at the ballot box and position the Green Party as a serious alternative to the lacklustre and ineffective opposition parties at Westminster.

Dr Lucas will say: “I am very much looking forward to being in my constituency for Party conference this Spring. Here in Reading, the local Green Party is really thriving and has its sights set on winning its first council seat in May.

“I am so proud to be part of a political party that stands up for its principles. I’m proud of all of our local councillors and the work they do, combining radical vision and practical policies to deliver real social and environmental change, up and down the country.

“Elected Greens make a real difference, and that is more and more people are joining us, and ever more people are voting for us. And following a series of great wins in Brighton, we have every expectation of winning Brighton Pavilion - our first seat in Westminster - at the next General Election."

Dr Lucas will continue: “Never has an opposition with our radical vision, pragmatic policies and passionate politics been more urgently needed.

“In a scrabble for the centre-ground of British politics, the Tories and Lib Dems are utterly failing in their responsibility to provide effective opposition and genuine alternatives to a government which is becoming ever more illiberal and out of touch.

 “I say, if the opposition isn’t up to the job, then move out of the way, and let us Greens get on with it”

"This government is intent on taking away our hard won liberties and freedoms in the name of security. It has failed to learn the lessons of the catastrophe in Iraq, still holding onto the belief that it’s possible to win a war on terror through the barrel of a gun in Afghanistan.

 "And while Gordon Brown says that climate change is the greatest threat we face, his government commits to ever more road-building and - even more damagingly - to more airports and runways, giving the green light to a massive expansion of Heathrow airport.”

 Dr Lucas will also chair a fringe session on ‘Agriculture and its effect on the environment’ on Friday afternoon at 2.20pm. She will be joined by three expert speakers, who will initiate a discussion on pertinent issues such as livestock emissions, animal welfare in farming, use of pesticides and agribusiness.

 ENDS